Bitter and merciless war is coming to the frozen north. It's bloody and dangerous and the Union army, split by politics and hamstrung by incompetence, is unprepared for the slaughter that's coming. Lacking experience, training, and in some cases even weapons, the army is scarcely equipped to repel Bethod's scouts, let alone his elite forces. In the heat-ravaged south, the Gurkish are massing to assault the city of Dagoska, defended by Inquisitor Glokta.

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Bitter and merciless war is coming to the frozen north. It's bloody and dangerous, and the Union army, split by politics and hamstrung by incompetence, is unprepared for the slaughter that's coming. Lacking experience, training, and in some cases even weapons, the army is scarcely equipped to repel Bethod's scouts, let alone his elite forces.

In the heat-ravaged south, the Gurkish are massing to assault the city of Dagoska, defended by Inquisitor Glokta. The city is braced for the inevitable defeat and massacre to come... but a plot is festering to hand the city to its besiegers without a fight, and the previous Inquisitor of Dagoska vanished without trace. Threatened from within and without the city, Glokta needs answers, and he needs them soon.

And to the east, a small band of malefactors travel to the edge of the world to reclaim a device from history - a Seed, hidden for generations - with tremendous destructive potential. A device which could put a end to war, to the army of Eaters in the South, to the invasion of Shanka from the North - but only if it can be found, and only if its power can be controlled.

Abercrombie plays hardball. The moment you think you are getting ahead of the plot; as soon as it becomes obvious who is going to survive and who is not; an instant after you sigh with understanding and a knowing nod of the head, a new window opens, perspective changes, and everything in the room makes a new and different kind of sense. Finally you just quit trying to suss it all out, accept the fact that you are in the hands of a master, and listen--rapt. I have finished the first two books now and have no idea where this is going. I just know that I will be fascinated and satisfied when we arrive.
Steven Pacey is flawless. Exactly the narrator Abercrombie deserves. And all for less than ten dollars a book. This is heaven!!
Two caveats: under no circumstances should you read these books out of order, and if you have problems reading descriptions of brutality or tolerating common, sexually descriptive language, just don't bother starting.

Much like at the end of the first book in this series, I found myself completely caught by surprise when this book ended. Once again I was entranced by Joe Abercrombie’s characters and the life infused into them by Steven Pacey and it was jarring to abruptly be forced to return to real life. I say abruptly because there is no closure to the story arc with this book. If you decide to come this far then you will need to go further to sate your hunger for an outcome to the many story threads.

Book two follows Bayaz, Logen, Jezal, and Ferro on their quest to the edge of the world for a powerful artifact. Of course this is a volatile mix of personalities and the only time they aren’t close to killing each other is when someone else is trying to do the job for them.

The Union’s war in the North continues and Collem West finds himself entangled within a dysfunctional military leadership group facing a deadly enemy in Bethod and his assembled armies. With two Generals that spend more time opposing each other than the enemy and a useless, spoiled Prince the Union army is primed to destroy itself.

And finally, our old friend Glokta finds himself in the South tasked with preventing the Gurkish from taking the city of Dagoska. As a war starts up on a second, much less defended front, Glokta must fight his own demons from the past as a prisoner of the Gurkish in addition to the Gurkish themselves.

I was pleased with the increased amount of time spent with Logen’s former band of Northmen, which is now led by Threetrees. As with all of the other story threads I was always eager to find out what happened to them next and was always saddened anytime someone was sent back to the mud.

So if you enjoyed book one, I see no reason why you would not enjoy book two. As with book one, I am once again only handing out 4 stars overall because of how I was left hanging at the end. I was shocked when it was over and felt there should have been more to the book and more closure to the story threads before moving on to book 3. That being the case, I did not hesitate to fire up book 3 because I need to spend more time with my new friends, no matter how flawed they are. And I must know what happens...

Joe Abercrombie is now on my list of writers to watch and Steven Pacey is superb. I've recommended this trilogy to friends, and the audio version is a must. Thanks to audible readers who mentioned Joe Abercrombie in their comments on other books or I would never have stumbled across this great trilogy.

Would you consider the audio edition of Before They Are Hanged to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the book, but Steven Pacey is an awesome narrator!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I still like Glokta. And Logan. And West. Okay, most of these characters are my favorite because they are basically trying to do the best they can given their circumstances and the world they live in. Both would reject any pity directed their way. In this novel there are no soft characters- they wouldn't survive long in the world that Abercrombie has created.

What about Steven Pacey’s performance did you like?

Steven gives all characters their own voices. He even does a great job of narrating Glokta's inner dialogue. That is hard to do- often you listen to a book and it takes you awhile to figure out that the narration are the thoughts of the character. Not so here. Glikta's mental musings are done fantastically! Pacey narrates all the characters with full emotional effect, and I was captivated the whole time,

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

This book moved me. I was spellbound. I couldn't wait to hear what happened next throughout the book. It isn't a happy book- there are no fairy tales here- but it is a compelling book.

Any additional comments?

Be warned, this book is more gruesomely graphic than the first. It's still a captivating book, and I couldn't put it down, but I wasn't quite ready for some of the gruesomeness. That's the only reason that it doesn't get a full 5 stars in every category.

My overall review of this book pretty much mirrors The Blade Itself - which is the first in the series. Mr. Pacey continues his outstanding narration work only solidifying my opinion that he is indeed one of the best in the business. The way he portrays Inquisitor Glokta makes this character come alive and one of the most interesting in the story and there are many. Abercrombie breathes life into so many characters regardless of how long they are part of the story or their significance to the main plot. If you've read the first book you need to continue on. If you have not...you should stop and go back to the beginning. It will be worth every credit you spend.

I am amazed once again by the high quality of this trilogy! Rather than disappoint, like so many sequels, Before They Are Hanged is even better than its predecessor! Joe Abercrombie's writing and characters are so interesting that I really have no 'favorite' parts. No matter which group of characters or storyline the plot is following, I am totally entertained and invested and can't wait to find out what happens next! Abercrombie's battle and fight scenes are particularly well written and evoke strong pictures in the mind- many better known authors would do well to study his style.
And Steven Pacey is a MARVEL. His vocal characterizations and accents are so solid, he brings each character to unique life, easily recognizable just by his voice. If you are looking for a new narrator to follow, look no further than Steven Pacey. I cannot give this book high enough marks for both story and reader!!

Finest author in the genre. This is not a novel for children, or for fans of unicorns and pixies. As fantasy books go, Mr Abercrombie writes his novels with an amazingly realistic portrayal of his many flawed but entertaining characters. Dark, gritty full of black humor, these books actually get better as the series progresses. Fantastic narration.

Beware: The audiobook for Blade Itself does not include the entire book and is missing the last 3 chapters. Audible has removed, I'm assuming to fix the issue. If you have not read the first book I would wait until they fix the audiobook before starting this one.

With that said, I just started this book and am really liking the continuation of the story. The narration is fantastic (as in the first book) though read a little choppy during battle sequences. The narrator does a great job with the dialogue and infusing different character into each of the voices, especially Glokta. The writing style and dialogue is top notch. Anything Abercrombie has written to date is a treat. Note: not for the faint hearted.

Great, engaging story with a GREAT narrator. SO good I can listen to it on a stairclimber and get through an hour wanting to work out more so I can keep listening. Very gritty story, not for delicate audiences.

This is the second book in Joe Abercrombie's 'First Law' trilogy and it is important to read/listen to the books in order to get the most out of them.

The book picks up more or less when part 1 ended. There are now three distinct story lines involving Glokta, Major West and the Byas expedition and they are pretty much separate throughout. There is also a lot more action. But the main strengths of the first book continue: well written, excellent characters and plots and a tour de force of narration by Stephen Pacey, who brings the book brilliantly to life. Stunning is the only word to describe his performance.

A five star listen - I'm already onto to part 3!

10 of 10 people found this review helpful

Peter

Beulah, United Kingdom

1/18/11

Overall

"An excellent sequel."

This book continues the brilliant form of the first. There are some new characters introduced but mainly it continues the stories of the diverse and varied cast from the first book. It is bloodier than the first, with more battles and action, but retains the intelligence and humour of the first. A remarkable series of books so far, made all the more enjoyable by the narrator. An excellent effort all round!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Christopher

Telford, United Kingdom

2/5/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"How to apply dark comedy to a gritty fantasy"

Joe Abercombie continues on top form with his second installment.

Story – 4.5/5

I did feel like a lot of the story was unnecessary to the overall aim, but what it did help to do was develop the characters, and this was clearly Joe Abercrombie’s intention, as he has set it up for one hell of a ride in the conclusion to the trilogy (which I have already read)

Each of the characters becomes even more likeable, and the dark comedy becomes even funnier as you learn more and the story develops. I thoroughly enjoyed this aspect, and I found I couldn’t turn the audio book off.

This story has more action and violence than the first, concentrating on both the battles themselves as well as the politics behind them.

Performance – 5/5

Steven Pacey is one of the best narrators out there. His character acting was flawless, each having a distinctive and believable voice. His narration enhanced the dark comedy and whit of Joe Abercrombie’s writing

Music/sound effects between scenes/chapters was a nice touch as well

Overall – 4.5/5

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Sarah

Bruton, United Kingdom

6/10/12

Overall

"These books are the reason I need more credits !!!"

This second part of the trilogy is not the "mark time till the finale" filler usually found in fantasy trilogies. The characters are solid and the story makes turning off your mp3 player very hard.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Simon

Canterbury, United Kingdom

10/20/11

Overall

"Fantastic stuff"

Gripping to the end - fantastic stuff! Brilliant story and brilliant narrator. I usually only listen to Audible stories while driving (on my sat nav) but this one was so good I took the sat nav out of the car and listened to it straight through.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Amazon Customer

GREENFORD, United Kingdom

8/14/11

Overall

"a very good listen!"

After listening to the first book I bought this one (being the second book) it too was not a mistake. I thouroughly enjoyed it adn found it if not as good as the first book then better! once again it was well read by Stephen Pacey with all the emotion and grit of the first book. This is definatly worth it!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

graham

plymouth, United Kingdom

7/8/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Buy it, Download it, Enoy it.."

That's exactly what I have done..like part one "the blade Itself" this is a fantastic story, well written and excellently executed by narrator. The characters each have their distinctive characterisation, that blend and meander through the story . The story is exiting and interesting and builds each chapter.If you enjoyed Game of Thrones, you will enjoy this..It has the quality of writing of GOT, but the narration is so much better

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

iain

LEOMINSTER, United Kingdom

4/13/13

Overall

"I loved it"

I think that these books are brilliant and I would recommend them to anyone who likes intrigue and painful death in their novels. The characters have been enlivened by the reading of the audio book. The voices are perfect. All of Joe Abercrombie's books are imaginative and brilliant examples of the fantasy genre. Logan Nine Fingers is a ground breaking character who should be a role model for everyone.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Mr

Birmingham, United Kingdom

4/9/13

Overall

"Brilliant continuation of The Blade Itself"

I discovered Joe Abercrombie from reading reviews on Audible and was glad I did. I wanted something fresh to read and not derivative of other authors. I found this here.

I did everything I could to find time to continue listening to this book. I offered to do the shopping, gardening and even pretended to go to bed early so could slip in the ear phones and lose myself in the characters and the world.

The book is not without faults - the expedition to edge of the world seems a pointless, if engaging, ramble - but they are few and greatly offset by the story and narration.

I would recommend this series to anyone interested in fantasy.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Mr

Alderly Edge, United Kingdom

4/9/13

Overall

"Superb"

I downloaded this entire book for a long car journey across Europe. Absolutely superb. Being new to audio books it was the quality of the narration that really impressed me... such a range of different voices and all from one person. I have read Joe Abercromie books before so I knew I could bet on a good story and I haven't been disappointed. Highly recommeded.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

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